| Well, let's see, I have had allergic dermatitis to a ton of things since I was about two years old, which resulted in years of cortisone, long sleeves, hiding, itching, and not being able to swim, sweat, or go anywhere without looking like a leper. Then I sneezed my head off every summer and would sit in exams feeling like I had eyelashes stuck in my eyes and I would sneeze my head off. This was the 70's and 80's when parents didn't realize their kids had issues and if they did realize it then you were blamed, accused of making problems, and would probably get your a$$ beat because you must have done something wrong. Then I wore latex gloves to do dishes because I was allergic to soap. Then I went to nursing school (four years) and in my third year, I developed a full-blown latex anaphylaxis and had to avoid it and suffer every day. Then I worked in administration as an RN to avoid the latex in the clinical setting, and everyone got strep throat and wa-la! I finally because allergic to myself and developed rheumatoid arthritis at the ripe age of 27!
So now I am on Enbrel and methotrexate and I hope I don't get cancer. The Enbrel is working wonders so I obviously have Tumor Necrosis Factor in a plentiful amount because it only targets that.
So to every moron who thinks that allergies are just a few sniffles and won't kill you, think again. Most adults who develop RA, MS, Lupus, psoriasis, gout, scleroderma, or any autoimmune disease have a history of multiple allergies.
Now I have a child who has had allergies since she was very little and I have just resigned myself to the fact that no sane person should jump into our gene pool.  | 
04-22-2008, 03:24 AM
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